A Tale of an Akatsuki Jewel
by ExaltedGoddess
Summary: DISCONTINUED...
1. Chapter 1

**A Tale of an Akatsuki Jewel **by 011890Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters created by them… and I never will…

A/N: My first ever fic! I'm so happy! Anyway, please note that I made up some of the characters and their names, the lead character is one of them, as well as some of the techniques here… others were taken from existing ninja console games.

_And so I decided to leave Akatsuki for good. I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore. The person I swore my allegiance to was no longer alive and two decades of living for Akatsuki was more than enough. Besides, their plan to capture the boy with the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, Uzumaki Naruto, will only be in vain… and that's because they'll have to go through me first…_

**

* * *

Chapter One**

**_My name is Mikage Yukina. I'm the youngest and the only female member of Akatsuki._**

I was only a baby when Sagara Hotsuma, the Akatsuki Leader, found me, took me in and raised me as his own. You could say I grew up within the group. I learned their ways, their code… even their techniques. I was only five then when Hotsuma brought me along with him and his gang out for a kill. He allowed me to help him and his men with their… 'work.' I can't say I didn't like it though… I rather enjoyed doing it. After our kill, I saw two of Hotsuma's men take something from, I think, two ninjas we fought beforehand. It seems like we went out not just for a kill but also for a larceny.

"You did a good job, Yukina."

"Hai, Hotsuma-sama…"

On our way back, I heard noises… more of wails actually… from a nearby village. I decided to check it out on my own. Little did I know, Hotsuma and the others followed. As I was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking at the village from afar, I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. What I saw was out of the ordinary without a doubt and for some reason, something about what I was looking at was pulling me to it… the Nine-tailed Demon Fox was tearing down the Hidden Village of Konoha. I felt that I should go there…

"Yukina, let's go." said Hotsuma. "Leave the village as it is… they deserved it…"

I looked at Hotsuma for an instant then back at the village. "No." It was the only thing I said before I jumped off the cliff, spread my wings and headed towards the village.

I was no ordinary kid… I had wings for some reason… neither white nor black in color but in a shade of ash gray… _can't say I'm an angel though…_

As I was getting near the village, I felt the aura of the Demon Fox getting stronger and stronger. As soon as I landed, I ran towards the Demon Fox… opposite the direction of the crowd running away from beast. I saw several people fighting off the fox… I presumed they were the village's ninjas. I was only a few meters away from them when a blinding light shone. I bet it was coming from one of the ninjas. After a few seconds, the light dimmed down and all that was left was a baby and a man lying beside each other. All the other ninjas I saw combating before were nowhere to be found. I went closer to the two beings to check them out. Both of them had blonde hair and cool cerulean eyes… coincidence? Maybe so but if one were to ask me, I'd say they're father and… son.

I looked around and searched for the Demon Fox… but I saw nothing. I tried to feel for its presence… still, I got nothing. Then I looked at the baby, 'Is it possible for this child to be –? It can't be!' But if it were so, a sealing technique was executed in order to stop the fox's outrage. The man had paid the price for the technique… and judging by the power of the technique used, the man was no doubt a high level ninja… a kage.

"You sure they're here?"

I heard men coming towards us. I had to act fast to avoid detection. I decided to take the baby with me and hid behind the bushes. I overheard the men's conversation as they stopped by the Hokage's lifeless body.

"Tch… it's just the 4th Hokage's body. Dammit! Where's that darn demon host!"

My guess was right… the baby I have in my arms… was none other than the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. But what do they want from him? What are they planning to do to him?

After minutes of searching, the men were almost ready to leave and search in another area… a good chance for me to leave unnoticed. I thought my worries were about to end when the baby suddenly started crying out loud. It attracted the ninjas' attention and made them look at our direction. I felt I had no choice but to run away from them. I wouldn't have done it though if it were only me they'd spot but since I have the baby they were looking for in my arms, running seemed more appropriate. And so I did… but they were able to catch up after only just a few seconds. I had to make a move to lose them.

"Kazu no Ryu!" I unleashed a flame dragon to get rid of my chasers… didn't think it was as easy as that though.

After eliminating my adversaries, I stopped on top of a mountain where there were four faces etched on it. I sat there for a while with the baby still in my arms and looked down on the ruined village. I then looked at the baby and saw that he was no longer crying. He was smiling and was happily tugging my hair, playing with it. I then realized that we were alike. He and I, we're both demon hosts… we both have demons residing in our bodies. Maybe… that's why I feel at ease when I'm with him… like siblings, as if he were my younger brother.

I have thought of bringing him back with me… but chose not to in the end. I couldn't bear the thought of having him go through what I had gone through. I didn't want him to have a life like mine. I may still be a little kid but what I had gone through was incomparable to what any ordinary ninja would've gone through thrice my age. And knowing the people I mingle with, it might have an effect on him, on how he'll end up after a few years. One Jinchuuriki in Akatsuki was enough. Moritsune might see it as an opportunity to conquer the countries having two Jinchuurikis in the group.

I think differently from the children my age. I'm more advanced… I no longer fuss about what games to play, what toys I'd get for my birthday and so on. I sometimes get the feeling that I was an adult just stuck in a five-year-old girl's body actually. Anyway, I think about what I need to do to survive. I live in a world where the rule of Survival of the fittest, as Hotsuma told me, was germane… 'The weak shall perish and the strong shall subsist'… something like that. It was either kill or be killed for me… that's how I looked at my life.

Having made up my mind, I went down the mountain and headed to what looked like the Main Building of the Hokage's. I knocked on the door and put the baby down. He wasn't smiling anymore. It seemed like he sensed that I was going to leave him all alone. I didn't want to but I know what I had to do.

"Daijoubu… someday, I'll get to see you smile again."

As I sensed a person closing in, I gave the baby a peck on the cheek before I hid behind a nearby tree. I waited there until I saw the person take the baby inside. After that, I left the village and went back to the lair.

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So what do you guys think? Please review… Thanks… Ü 


	2. Chapter 2

**A Tale of an Akatsuki Jewel **by 011890Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters created by them… and I never will…

A/N: Second chapter up! Enjoy! Ü

_And so I decided to leave Akatsuki for good. I don't want to have anything to do with them anymore. The person I swore my allegiance to was no longer alive and two decades of living for Akatsuki was more than enough. Besides, their plan to capture the boy with the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, Uzumaki Naruto, will only be in vain… and that's because they'll have to go through me first…_

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

_**Wanting to see how he was doing was out of the question… I knew that there'd be little chance of me ever seeing him again.**_

I was eight when I first met a certain shinobi from Konoha… the village where I met another Jinchuuriki like myself. He was a bit old but nevertheless, powerful. Hotsuma probably liked him because of his aggression and ambitions. I, on the other, never did nor will I ever like him. There was something about him that bothered me… and I don't think it's his skin color but boy was he as pale as the moon. In the end, I never did manage to figure out what that something was.

"Yukina… this is Orochimaru from the Hidden Village of Konoha." said Hotsuma as he introduced me to the new affiliate of the group.

"It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Yukina." The man said hoarsely.

I didn't answer him. I just looked at him emotionlessly. I didn't want him to think that I didn't like him…

"My, my… it seems you're not the talkative kind. Nevertheless, I still find you quite amusing for your young age." I studied him… and I noticed that he was already wearing one of the Akatsuki's rings. It seems that he already has Hotsuma's trust to give him that ring.

And what did he mean by that? And I didn't need him to point out that I wasn't the chatty type. Just hearing him talk irritates me and the way he looks at me… he's got something on his mind. I can tell…

"Yukina, you are to go with Orochimaru and me on a mission within this week. Is that understood?"

"Hai…"  
"That is all… you may go now." I bowed before I left him and Orochimaru.

I was walking down the corridor when I recalled what had happened three years ago after I went to the Village of Konoha without Hotsuma's consent then back to the lair.

----------Flashback----------

"And where have you been, young lady!" Moritsune bawled as soon as I stepped inside the room. All the members of the group were present. It seemed like I entered while they were having a meeting for the next assault. Pathetic, Moritsune…

"I went to the Hidden Village of Konoha. You should know… you were there. You saw me fly towards the village."

"How dare you talk to me like that!"

"You are just my senior… nothing more. I am more powerful than you and I know you are aware of that." I retorted calmly, eyeing him.

"Why I oughta –!"

"Enough, Moritsune!"

Moritsune angrily turned to face Hotsuma. "But –!"

"I said enough!"

Moritsune is Hotsuma's younger brother and second-in-command in Akatsuki. He can't accept the fact that a little girl like me surpasses his powers, abilities and techniques… even after all the rigorous and grueling training he underwent. He doesn't want to admit that he belongs to the weak and therefore imposes that he is all-powerful and that I should be under his command just like the rest of the group. I cannot and will not allow such as I have sworn my allegiance **_only_** to his older brother, Hotsuma.

"Yukina, you shouldn't have interfered with what was happening to the Hidden Village of Konoha." said Hotsuma.

I was silent for a moment, thinking about what to reply to Hotsuma. I looked at Moritsune… there was a smirk on his face. He thinks I have nothing to say…

"I know I shouldn't have… but there was something I needed to find out. I had a feeling that I should be there for some reason." I replied.

"Great, now we have to believe a little girl's hunch that there was something worth checking out in that useless village." Moritsune interrupted.

He wasn't actually happy that I answered back. He was hoping that I had done something wrong and that I was finally about to get punished by Hotsuma especially for disobeying him.

"But I saw something worth while." I retorted.

"Oh? And what would that be, Yukina?"

"I do not need to tell you, Moritsune."

His eyes were now focused on me… eyes filled with envy and anger. It was as if he wanted to strike me but because we were in front of the whole group, he could not do so.

Hotsuma sighed. "In any case, I am glad to see you back here safe and sound. You no longer need to tell me what you have encountered back there. All that matters now is that you came back here."

"What? Are you telling me she gets away with it! Hotsuma, she disobeyed you!" Hotsuma said nothing.

"Quit it, Moritsune…" I said as I turned and went out of the room. He hasn't got a clue that I told Hotsuma everything telepathically…

I could still hear them talking even behind the closed doors. Moritsune was angry with what Hotsuma said. I bet he's jealous that Hotsuma lets me do anything and everything I want in the right time even without his approval while he, on the other hand, needs to stick to his orders… if not, he'll get punished for not obeying.

"Why are you like that towards Yukina! You are spoiling her, Hotsuma."

"Unlike you, whenever I give her a command, she complies and fulfills her tasks as soon as possible. I could give her more than 5 missions in a day and surely by the end of the day, all of it will be done." Moritsune was silent.

He wasn't my real father but what he gives me was what I think a father would give to her daughter. I am grateful that somehow a person treats me as such even if I'm not really human…

----------End of Flashback----------

I was standing by the lake, looking at the body of water in front of me when Orochimaru approached me.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" I asked, still looking at the lake.

"Nothing… I just wanted to talk to you." He replied.

I then looked at him. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

He looked at me straight in the eye… attempting to draw me with just his eyes. He should know that silly techniques like that won't work on me.

"What are you doing?"

Realizing that nothing was happening, he snapped out of his trance and forced himself to gain his composure to reply. "Nothing, Yukina… I was simply admiring your beautiful deep violet eyes."

"I see…" I turned to face the lake once more, closing my eyes."

"What are you thinking right now?" He asked.

I quickly opened my eyes… they were no longer in the shade of deep violet, as he was 'admiring' earlier. My eyes were now blood red in color…

"I'm just thinking of how many people I can kill during our mission." I was now looking at the sky, patiently waiting for his reply.

Although I wasn't looking at him, I could sense that he did not expect to see my eyes change in color and so I closed them again. He was silent for a while before he spoke again. Was he thinking or was he too startled to speak? Well… whatever it was, I could care less.

"I cannot wait to join you and Hotsuma in the mission." He finally said.

"So do I…" I answered back. He then went back to the lair, leaving me all alone by the lake. I opened my eyes… they were in their usual shade of violet. I suppose I have made him more curious of what I am after what I just did… but nevertheless, that got him to leave me.

'I wonder… what has happened to him now?' I thought to myself. I wasn't doing anything at the moment and Hotsuma would probably expect me to show up for the mission a few minutes before we'll start so what if…

I hastily ran back inside the lair and into Hotsuma's quarters as an idea came to me. I needed to ask for his permission to let me go to Konoha again. I'm sure he'll allow me… I'm sure he will…

He was sitting by the window, quietly reading a book when I abruptly entered his room. "Why are you in a hurry, my dear?" Hotsuma asked as he put his book down.

"Hotsuma… I want to go to Konoha again."

"Are you sure? What are you going to do there?"

"I – I…" I took a deep breath and looked at him straight in the eye. "I want to see him again."

"The person you saw then?"

"Yes…" He was silent. He was looking at me intently. "Hotsuma?"

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Very well… I will allow you to go to Konoha but on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"Promise me that you'll come back to me after… that's all." He replied, now looking at me and… smiling. I was surprised. It was the first time I saw him smile. Never in the past seven years have I seen him smile at me. His smile was warm… _I want to see him smile again… just like the baby I held in my arms three years ago…_

I didn't know what to say really so I smiled back at him. "Okay, I will… I promise"

"Good." I then turned to leave when he suddenly called me. I faced him. "Yukina… you look better when you smile." He said. And so I smiled again for him before I finally went out of his room and the lair and headed to Konoha.

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I was running double the speed I use when I am fighting. I really don't know why but the thought of getting to see him again excited me. As if I was going to see something that I haven't seen for a very long time. I decided to climb atop the tree branches for the time being.

'Three years… I hope he's doing okay.' I thought to myself as I was jumping from branch to branch before I went down and started to sprint again. 'Who am I kidding of course he'll be okay… after all, he's just like me…'

I was still running… even after ten minutes or so. Going to Konoha from the lair is not like a field trip. I'd have to pass through thick forests and the like so even if I was to triple my speed, it will still take me awhile.

With my stamina, I really didn't need to stop for a break but something I sensed made me do so…

(Swish! Swish! Swish!)

(Thud! Thud! Thud!)

Three shurikens suddenly came flying across my face and landed on the ground beside where I stopped. I looked at the direction where those shurikens came from and saw two groups of ninjas fighting. Out of curiosity of from where and who they were, I chose to stay for awhile and watched as their fight progressed. As I was watching their battle, I finally distinguished the ninjas from one another… three rogue ninjas, all wearing masks and black outfits and three from Konoha.

'They're good enough to pulverize Moritsune…' The thought of seeing Moritsune getting beat up by the likes of them was humorous indeed.

Out of the six ninjas skirmishing, one of them caught my attention… he was a ninja from Konoha… he had silver hair and he was the best among all of them even though he's just a chuunin. What amazed me about this shinobi was the fact that he was able to perform the same technique one of his enemies used beforehand. A copy nin…

"Watch out!" he shouted as a shuriken almost hit his teammate.

"That was close…" the other said.

I'm not really sure but from the way they look, I'd have to say that they're only 16 to 18 years old shinobis… more than nine years older than me. But they sure were taking a lot of time in finishing one another. Even I could finish all six of them in a fraction of a second… (Sigh) They are, after all, human…

And so I waited and waited for them to finish their fight. Still, I must admit that it was quite amusing to watch mortals fight. They are, shall we say, unpredictable because no one will be able to guess what they will do next. The fact gives more interest and a lot of excitement in a seemingly mediocre battle.

After a few more minutes, numbers were slowly dwindling… from three Konoha ninjas, only one remained. All three rogue ninjas were still complete though not in tip-top shape anymore. And here I thought ninjas from Konoha were good… guess I was wrong. The fight now became 3-on-1… not exactly fair play but that's what had happened.

"Hehe… looks like you're all alone now…" said one of the three rogue ninjas.

"What are you going to do now?" said another.

He was silent. The remaining ninja from Konoha was staring at his enemies with hate and anger in his eyes but he just stood there doing nothing. I noticed one of his eyes were red in color though I'm pretty sure it's not like my eye. Neither were the other ninjas… they were all just standing like a bunch of statues.

As I was watching them fight earlier, I remembered how I killed ninjas like them back when Hotsuma brought me along with his group. The adrenaline rush my body felt while I was slaying ninjas one by one was overwhelming and surprisingly, it felt good… I felt good while I was doing it. And I'd do it again if I were given the chance…

Just reminiscing about it made me want to go in and slaughter each and every one of them. I knew I shouldn't interfere but I wanted to even though it wasn't any of my business. I wanted to see their faces when I finish one in a split second. I could almost hear the poor beings beg for mercy as I slowly and painfully rip their flesh apart. The temptation was enticing indeed and I was having a hard time holding it back.

"Now DIE!" cried one of the ninjas as he charged head on the silver-haired shinobi.

Once I heard the ninja shout, I snapped. My eyes turned from its deep violet shade to its crimson color. I could no longer control my temptation and so I jumped in and stood in between the charging ninja and the silver-haired shinobi.

All of them were startled by my interference, especially the rushing ninja… but before he could even stop his assault and avert it to another direction, I took out my blade tonfas and stabbed him at his abdomen. His blood spurted and was all over my face and clothes… still I wasn't satisfied with what I did so I pushed him roughly, pushed my blade tonfas deeper, making him fall back and hit the ground... I then stabbed him again and again. His cry for mercy was music to my ears and I did not stop even after hearing him whimper in pain. He struggled to move and save himself from my stabs but his attempts were futile as I gave him my final blow… I ripped open his chest with my bare hands and literally took his heart out and crushed it making him finally die.

As soon as I finished my deed on the lifeless ninja, my whole body was drenched in blood and it's because I was on top of him when I repeatedly stabbed him. I felt contented but not fully since there were still three of them remaining. I stood up and looked at each one of them with my crimson eyes... they were all looking at me with such horrified expressions on their faces… just as I wanted.

I leisurely made my way towards my second prey… he was trembling as I was approaching him. It made me want to kill him more. Also, not one of them moved a muscle. They were all paralyzed on where they stood.

"P-p-please… don't …" his fellow ninja pleaded. I glared at him.

"Wh-who are you? W-w-hat are you anyway!" asked the other. I didn't respond. Instead, I looked at him and gave him an ominous grin.

I was starting to lose my patience already. I'm a very edgy girl so to speak. I don't want lengthy clashes. I prefer quick painless kills. And so I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a second… then fluttered open my eyes revealing lilac-colored eyes. The two ninjas were taken aback by what I did. My deadly eyes of scarlet have been replaced by a gentle color of lilac. My ominous grin has been replaced by a tender smile. They put their guard down as soon as they thought I no longer had any intention of hurting them. Little did they know… they were still about to be killed.

"Hehe… looks like she's calmed down now… ne?" mentioned one.

"Ye-yeah… I think so too…" replied the other. Both of them were now at ease. Foolish humans…

I chuckled. It made them jump in fright. "Don't think you two are off the hook now." I mumbled and gave them an innocent look as I took out my short sword and pierced one of them in the heart. My action made the remaining ninja stumble back, tremulous. I then pulled my short sword out of the ninja and he fell on the ground motionless, just like the other ninja I killed earlier.

"My, my… I didn't think he'd die that easily. Too bad..." I squatted beside the dead body and poked it a few times… for no reason whatsoever. "You're weak. A worthless bug…"

"Why are you doing this! This is none of your business anyway!" the remaining ninja said, crawling backwards with his voice full of bile and fear, mostly of fear.

"Why?" I stood up and turned to look at him. "I don't know," I replied, smiling again. I then looked up at the sky. "Maybe it's because I just wanted to kill somebody. I wanted to see bloodshed…"

"YOU MONSTER!" He bawled as he stood up trying to look at me straight in the eye. I looked at him with an emotionless face.

"A monster?" I dashed towards him; thrust my short sword into his chest. I took out a makimono and performed seals to release its power. "Ka'en!" We were both engulfed by a fiery explosion. I then sliced his head off…

"What the heck just happened?" I finally heard the silver-haired shinobi say something.

As the fire dispersed, I stood there beside the ninja's dead corpse. "I am a monster, aren't I?"I said as I looked up at the sky. I didn't know why… but my body suddenly gave up on me. I felt tired beyond a doubt. It was as if my energy was sucked out of me… diminished all of a sudden. I turned to look at the ninja from Konoha and as I was about to move towards him, I collapsed.

"Oi!" He caught me before I hit the ground. He came close to me even after he saw everything I had done. "Get a hold of yourself!" But even if I wanted to open my eyes and look at him, I couldn't for I completely lost consciousness then. This was the first time that it happened to me…

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I was in a hospital when I regained my consciousness. It seemed that the shinobi I had failed to kill brought me to Konoha Village after all. I sat myself up and looked at the surroundings through the window. Three years after the Nine-tailed Demon Fox's attack and the village looked as if nothing happened. Everything was in order and the people were calm and peaceful… very far from how they were during the Fox's annihilation of their village.

"Are you okay now?" I turned to see who spoke to me.

"Hai…" It was the silver-haired shinobi. He sat on a chair near the bed I was lying on.

"So… um… just by looking at you I can tell that you're not from here or any other village for that matter. May I ask who you are and where you came from?" He was looking at me intently waiting for my reply.

"My name is Mikage Yukina and… I don't – I don't know where I came from." I replied. I didn't tell a lie. I really don't know where I came from.

"Don't know where you came from?" I nodded. "I see… how old are you by the way?"

"Eight years old."

He was shocked to hear my age. "You're just eight?" He then chuckled. "So I was saved by an eight-year-old girl…" I tilted my head to one side and looked at him, puzzled. He seemed to notice the expression I had on my face. "Listen, if it weren't for you I wouldn't have been able to defeat all of them and finish my mission." He placed his hand on my head, just as Hotsuma would do when talking to me. "And for that, I thank you." He smiled at me.

I didn't know how to respond to his gesture so I averted my gaze.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi by the way… and it's nice to meet you, Yuki." I looked at him again and he had his hand out, waiting for mine. So I held out my hand and shook his.

"Ano… Hatake-san, I have a favor to ask of you." I said.

"Please, just call me Kakashi."

"Hai… Kakashi, would you mind if I asked you to take me around your village?"

"That's it? Of course not… sure I'll gladly take you around the village once you're out of the hospital, okay?"

I smiled. "Arigatou…"

Another shinobi entered the room. "Kakashi, the Hokage wants to see you right now." He said.

"Oh okay. Tell him I'll be there in a minute." And with that the messenger left. "It seems like I have to leave for a while. Don't worry I'll be back later. You rest for the time being so you'll be okay once I take you 'round the village." I nodded.

"See you later!" I said. Kakashi then left the room as well.

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I stayed in the hospital for two days and it's mainly because Kakashi said so. He was going to take me around the village once I get out so I had no choice but to comply with what he told me to do. Besides, for the past two days he visited me and either spent the whole day or stayed for a while with me depending if he had something to do. I appreciated his company and the way he acted around me was as if he didn't witness my gory deed the past day.

After my 2-day rest in the hospital, the doctor authorized my discharge and I was now out and able to go wherever I want to. Kakashi was there to pick me up.

"Hey listen, before I take you around the village, would you mind if I take you to see a certain person first?" He asked.

"No, not at all." I replied.

He and I were walking along the streets of Konoha and I could see people were looking at me. Who could blame them? Kakashi said it himself that I didn't look like any of the ninjas much less the people from their village and that I look different from the girls of this village either.

"Don't worry about them, Yukina." Kakashi whispered so only I could hear him.

"Oh, I'm not bothered by them." I replied.

He scratched his head and chuckled. "So I see…"

"By the way, where are we going?"

"We're going to the Hokage Tower. The Hokage wants to meet you." He said.

Why does the Hokage want to meet me? Does he know what happened during Kakashi's mission? I had to ask him. "Does he –?"

"I haven't told anyone about the incident." He immediately replied. "Whatever happened there will be just between you and me."

"Arigatou…" Seems like I don't have to worry about other people finding out what occurred and about what I did.

Both of us were silent after.

"Ano… aren't you gonna even ask me about it?" I asked, looking at him.

"I won't force you to tell me what happened back there. If you don't want to tell me, I'm fine with that but if you want to tell me, I'm here to listen." He replied, looking back at me.

I didn't know what to tell him after what he said to me so I looked away. He too, averted his gaze… and we walked to the Hokage Tower without a single word.

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As we approached the Hokage Tower, I saw two ninjas standing before the main door to the tower. As we passed by I noticed that they bowed in respect. It would be silly of me to ever think that bow was meant for me. Kakashi must be their senior or something… maybe even an important ninja of this village. Who knows? We at Akatsuki always made it a point to bow to Hotsuma as a sign of reverence since he's our leader. I had to ask…

"What ninja level are you, Kakashi?"

"I'm a Chuunin level ninja. Why do you ask?"

"So those ninjas we passed by are of the lower level?"

"No, they're the same level as I am."

"Then why did they bow to you?"

"Hmm… because it's a way of greeting someone in a formal manner, I guess…" He replied.

He and I were already climbing the stairs up the tower, to the Hokage's main office, when we stumbled upon three ninjas: two shinobis and a kunoichi. All of them looked like they were from the same batch as Kakashi's.

"Yo!" said Kakashi.

"Ei, Kakashi! What have you been up to lately?" A man in green tights spoke.

"Missions, here and there… you know, the usual, Gai." So his name is Gai.

"I heard what happened to your teammates. It was such a loss." This time a woman with fiery red eyes spoke.

"It was… but things have been much better now, Kurenai." No wonder… her name Kurenai means 'Scarlet'. The name suits her perfectly on account of her eye color that is. This reminds me… back at Akatsuki we have a ring bearing the symbol of Scarlet… I wonder where Hotsuma placed that ring. Apparently, no one in Akatsuki deserved that ring yet. At least, that's what Hotsuma thinks. Not even Moritsune is qualified to have that ring. As if…

"Who's this young girl you're with, Kakashi?" the remaining shinobi spoke.

"She's the girl I was telling you about, Asuma." What! But I thought he didn't tell anyone of the incident!

"Oh… so she's the girl you saw lying unconscious by the gates to Konoha…" 'Girl he saw lying unconscious by the gates to Konoha?' Is that what he told them? That's nice… I should make a mental note to give him a pat on the back for making that up one of these days. That is if I ever get to see him after I leave…

"De? Is she to meet the Hokage?"

"Yeah… he wants to meet our guest."

"You know, she has the same look as Itachi." Gai noted.

"Maybe even the same talents…" Kurenai added.

"Maybe but so far no one has been able to equal Itachi. I believe he is to graduate from the school later this year. An eight-year-old… quite early if I may say so…" Asuma answered back. This Itachi must be an excellent student to be given praise by the likes of these three.

"He's the Genius of his batch. A child prodigy… he can be dangerous." Gai remarked. I saw Kurenai elbow him. This Itachi must be an interesting boy…

"What's your name by the way?" 'Scarlet' asked. (Giggle) The name really reminds me of Akatsuki. (Sigh) Really… I can take my time here… I don't have to worry about going back as of now. I still have a lot of time before MY mission with Hotsuma and former Konoha ninja, Orochimaru. Besides, our target is near this village. I can make it in time and I'm sure Hotsuma knows it.

"Mikage… Mikage Yukina. It's nice to meet you." I said, bowing to them. This is my first time to bow to anyone other than Hotsuma. I must admit, it felt a bit awkward.

"What a nice name! Suits your sweet and gentle personality…" Gai said. Sweet and gentle personality? He has got to be kidding. I saw Kakashi look away when Gai mentioned it. He must have recalled what I did to his enemies then. Unfortunately, Gai noticed what Kakashi did. "Is something wrong, Kakashi? Was it something I said?"

Kakashi gave him a weak smile. "No, no… it's nothing. I just remembered 'something'." He was looking at me when he said the word 'something'.

"Oh, okay." Gai replied, still perplexed.

"Anyway, Yukina and I must be going now. Wouldn't want to make the Hokage wait now, do we?" Kakashi said.

"We'll see you then later." said Asuma.

"Don't forget about our spar later, Kakashi." Gai reminded him.

"I won't."

"And please don't be late."

"Noted." Although I can tell that he wasn't paying much attention to what Gai just said.

"Bring Yuki along with you later." Kurenai said.

"For what?"

"Have you forgotten? There are going to be important people arriving later and all the clans are required to attend."

"Oh okay… I'll bring her." And with that Asuma, Kurenai and Gai left.

After our chat with them, we headed for the Hokage's office where I was to meet the leader of the whole Fire Country. The thought of seeing the Hokage got me thinking… what ever happened to the 4th Hokage? Am I going to meet the 5th Hokage? And what did Kakashi tell the Hokage that the latter wanted to see me? I'm sure it was something other that the 'girl he saw lying unconscious by the gates to Konoha' line. Well… whatever it was, I'll be able to find out about it once I meet and talk to this person. I just hope he or she is nothing like Moritsune or Orochimaru for that matter. Who am I jesting? Here I go again with my ludicrous assumptions… of course the people wouldn't want a leader like those two. I, for one, DON'T!

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"Well that didn't go so bad now, did it?" We were done with our meeting with the Hokage and it went well if I may say so. And what really interested the Hokage was the fact that a girl like me was able to 'survive' the dangers of the forests all by myself. A bit of an exaggeration but I guess it's something children like me weren't allowed or rather unable to do alone since we're still young and 'inexperienced'. The Hokage and I weren't able to talk much because he had an important business to attend to and Kakashi told him that he still had to take me around the village. The Hokage agreed and wished that I stay in the village longer so we could talk more. Kakashi must've told him that I wasn't from the village. After that, we excused ourselves and left the Hokage Tower.

Kakashi and I were now headed to the center of the village to meet up with his friends.

"The Hokage was really nice, Kakashi, though I sort of expected to meet a younger Hokage." Apparently, the Hokage I met was the 3rd Hokage and would've been my grandfather already. He's old but nonetheless, he seemed more powerful and skilled than Orochimaru.

"You mean the 4th Hokage?" I nodded. "How did you know about the 4th Hokage?" He got me there. I had to think of an answer quickly.

"Uh… on our way here, I saw a mountain with faces on it. There were four of them. The one I met and spoke to looked like the third head and there was a younger one beside it. I thought I'd be meeting that person instead."

"I see." He sighed. "The 4th Hokage died about three years ago. He died saving the village from the Nine-tailed Demon Fox."

"What happened to the Nine-tailed Demon Fox?"

"It… was sealed by the 4th Hokage."

I'm sure he knows about the demon host too and I wanted to ask him more about it and the demon. But something pulled me back. If I was to push the subject further, he might suspect that I know too much for someone from outside the village. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"It must've been a great loss for your village." I said.

"Yeah… it was. But everything's okay now. And besides, it happened three years ago and if we still mourned over it we wouldn't have been able to move on and somehow advance from a great set back brought about by the Kyuubi then." He was right. There's no point in grieving over something that happened in the past. Unless…

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When we arrived at the center of the village, a lot of people were present and from the looks of it, Konoha Village was to welcome guests from the Cloud Village of the Lightning Country. The place was so jam-packed that it would be easy to get separated from one another. And guess what? I got separated from Kakashi. I didn't know where to look for him so I stayed in one place where I wouldn't get in the way of all the other people there… say on top of a one-storey structure? I wasn't even sure that he'd noticed I was no longer beside him or following him. In any case, nothing bad will happen to me and if anything did or will happen to me… I am pretty much capable of taking care of myself.

From where I sat, I could see the different clans Kurenai brought up earlier. Hotsuma mentioned some of the clans from Konoha and so did Orochimaru so I have an idea on what I was seeing. The first clan I saw was the Hyuuga Clan. They were the easiest to spot because of their eyes. They have white eyes… note: Byakuugan… and are considered one of the most prominent clans in the Konoha Village. I think their clan is divided into two sections: the Head family and Branch family… much like the clan where I came from. The next clan I saw was the Aburame Clan. A clan I consider the safer version of being a 'host' to a certain creature. Insects, or rather, kikai bugs live in their bodies and feed off from their chakra. In return, they can manipulate and use the bugs as weapons either for offense or for defense. Another fact about them is that they can communicate with their bugs and other insects as well. Talk about insect-magnetism for a change. The next clan was the Akimichi Clan. This clan usually faces underestimation because of their, shall I say, size. Many think they're slow and weak because of it but soon regret ever assuming it once they got the chance to fight with them because they are really strong and as skilled, if not, maybe more powerful than any other ninja from a different clan.

"Yukina!"

"Yukina, where are you?"

"Don't worry. She'll be fine."

"YUKINA!"

"Take it easy, Gai."

"You might attract unwanted attention!"

I heard Gai, Kurenai and Kakashi's voices in sequence. It looks like he finally noticed that I wasn't with him… though he sure sounded calm since he knows what I'm capable of. But I guess I can't expect the same from Gai and Kurenai because they see me as a child in an unknown territory… read: Konoha… and I might panic and start a fuss sooner or later.

Not gonna happen…

Moving on, the next two clans I saw were the Nara and Yamanako Clans. I believe the Nara Clan is a clan of ninjas that utilizes the techniques to manipulate the shadows while Yamanako Clan is a clan that is able to penetrate and take control of the minds of their enemies. Deadly to ninjas who don't know a thing about the clans' strength and potential, a challenge to the much more advanced ninjas but nevertheless the Nara and Yamanako Clans still are forces to be reckoned with. They may not be as strong as the Akimichi Clan and as powerful as the Hyuuga Clan but they have their own style of attack and techniques that shouldn't be taken too lightly. The next clan was the Inuzuka Clan… a clan known for their love of dogs. Just by looking at them you can tell they are of this clan. They have dogs almost always by their side as their partners and the members more or less look like one too (Giggle). This clan has special techniques that make use of the link between owner and dog. My opinion: 'Man's best friend' has a deeper meaning in terms of the clan members' relationship with their partners.

The last clan I saw, if I'm not mistaken, is the…

"Oi! Are you Yukina?" I turned to see who was talking to me. He was a boy about my age. He had raven-black hair matched with black eyes and he was rather pale. He was wearing a black, short-sleeved, turtleneck shirt and white shorts. He also had the standard kunai/shuriken case strapped on his right thigh… typical for any ninja. And I here I thought I have chosen a good spot to ponder over the people where no one would ever find me.

"So what if I am?" I retorted.

"Those three…" He pointed to Gai, Kurenai and Kakashi. "They've been looking for you for quite a while now. Aren't you gonna even let them know you're okay and up here?"

"Nope!" I playfully answered back.

"I thought so…" Wait a minute! Was he thinking of doing the same thing if he were in my place? "I just had a feeling you'd rather make them go look for you instead of you telling them exactly where you are in case you ask." He then sat right beside me.

"I see…" There was a moment of silence before I spoke again. "Since you already know my name, how 'bout telling me yours?" I asked.

"I'm Itachi… Uchiha Itachi." So he's Itachi… the boy genius Gai mentioned beforehand. No wonder he's a whiz kid… he's a member of the last clan I saw. The Uchiha Clan is another prominent clan on account of their Dojutsu, the Sharinggan, which enables the person who has this ability to copy his enemies' movements. Rumor has it that the Sharinggan may also enable a person to read the enemies' next move. With ability like that, they are considered to be the toughest adversary to be dealt with among all the clans in Konoha. Come to think of it, Kakashi is a copy nin but he isn't a member of the Uchiha Clan and he only has one Sharinggan eye. I wonder how he got that eye…

"Asuma-san mentioned that you are to graduate later this year." I said, trying to start a conversation.

I got no reply… I guess he didn't want to talk about it then. HEY! Just a sec… the same look? I have the same look as he has? I do not see the resemblance. The only things we have in common are the hair color and complexion… beyond that, there isn't anything else. Well… I'll give him this: he looks like he's better and more experienced than the other kids in our age group in this village. Though he is not, I repeat, is not better than me.

Just sitting there, without anything to do or say felt awkward now that he's there so I had to break the ice… again.

"How come you're not with your clan members?"

"Because I don't want to…" He replied. Finally got him to answer… "All we have to do down there is to welcome some guests from the Lightning Country – BORING!" He turned to look at me. "What about you? Why aren't you with your clan?"

"I'm not from this village and besides… my clan doesn't exist anymore." I answered back.

"Doesn't exist anymore? You mean you're the remaining member of your clan?" I nodded. "That must be hard… you have to live on your own with no one to walk beside you." Hm… he is right. It's hard to live on your own and all-alone. That's why I considered myself lucky because Hotsuma found me and I didn't have to endure such loneliness of being alone.

"You'd get used to it after some time. And it will be then when you realize you're the only one capable of saving yourself. No one will do it for you…" I could feel that he still had his eyes on me and so I decided to look back at him. We were now looking at each other's eyes and with such proximity… neither of noticed how close we were at first but as soon as we did we moved back hastily and averted our gaze to somewhere else. This was also the first time I felt this way. It was different from how I feel for Hotsuma and for the little boy. Maybe it's just because I'm not used to being with someone around my age group but still… I could feel my cheeks burning up and my heart beating so fast. I stole a glance at him and saw his cheeks were red as well. I guess… I could say we were feeling the same way? Nah… I'm sure he's always around kids our age but then, why was he blushing as well? I don't know… I'm so confused. We both looked at each other once more and looked away quickly as our eyes met even just for a mere second. Being with him now felt more awkward than before…

"A–ano…" I wanted to say something but nothing was coming out. I couldn't find the words to say to him.

"Ne, Yukina…" He interrupted.

"Ha–hai! What is it?" I asked. We were still not looking at each other.

"After this event will you be leaving Konoha immediately?" Now why would he ask me that? I slowly turned to look at him. He looked so serious. I can't answer him with a joke now.

"I – I'm not sure. I might… might stay here for a while. I guess…" What am I thinking! 'I might stay here for a while!' Why the hell did I give him that answer! I wanted to correct myself but as I was about to, I stopped. His face suddenly lightened up. "Great! That means I'll get to hang-out with you again." That's what he meant? And he looked so happy with the thought of it. He didn't smile though… what he gave me was more of a smirk. I smiled… I knew I can never take back the words I just said… that would make him unhappy. After that, the both of us were at ease with each other. We started to talk about things, the clans we were looking at, techniques and so on. I have never talked to anyone this long other than with Hotsuma though even with him, all I could talk about needed to have something to do with Akatsuki and the missions. I never had the chance to talk to Hotsuma freely like what I'm doing with Itachi.

We sat there talking and watching the people mingled and conversed with one another when something from afar abruptly flashed before us.

"What was that?" He stood up. "Did you see it, Yukina?"

I stood up as well. "Yeah…" I saw it alright. It was Moritsune's Crescent Blade. I was already being called. Hotsuma must've ordered Moritsune to call me back already and so Moritsune threw his blade up to the sky for me to see it from where I was. It was already time for the mission. I had to go back now… and yet I didn't even have the chance to see him. And that means… I have to leave **_him_** as well… "Ne, Itachi… if you come across Kakashi, could you please tell him I had to leave Konoha. I have to go now…"

"Now? But I thought you'd be staying here a little longer? You told me so."

"I'm sorry but there has been a change of plans."

"And here I thought we were going to hang-out some other time. I was looking forward to it too…"

"I'm sorry, Itachi…" So… we both felt the same way…

He sighed. "Y'know, you're the first girl I spent time with this long. I don't think I'll be able to be at ease with another girl the way I was at ease with you. Can't you at least wait until this welcoming event is over?" He didn't have to say that… and besides, he was talking too much for his age. _Argh!_ He made it harder for me to leave now. I looked at him. "I guess… I can't." I didn't want to leave either but… "I really have to go now… there's an urgent matter I must be present at."

"Will I get to see you again someday?" He asked. I couldn't give him a definite answer… so I kissed him. It stunned him but he didn't reject it and kissed me back to my surprise. It was… my first kiss. "Yukina…" It was the only thing he said before I gave him a weak smile and teleported myself outside Konoha's gates. "Sayonara, Uchiha Itachi…" Once I was outside Konoha, I took one last look at the village where another Jinchuuriki resided and where I met Itachi knowing it'll be years before I could set foot in it again. After that, I ran… heading to my target location to engage in a mission for Akatsuki. Though I wasn't able to see him, I still got the chance to meet other interesting people instead: Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai and Uchiha Itachi. That boy… Itachi… it seems he's added one more reason for me to want to go to Konoha again someday. It may not have turned out as how I wanted but even so… what I got in the end was a good consolation.

* * *

I know this was a bit long but nevertheless I hope this somehow justified the title given… Ü Also, Yukina's eyes, turning red in color, it doesn't mean she has the same doujutsu as the Uchihas, okay? 


End file.
